What I Wore To Work Today: Friday, September 2, 2016Blouse: Ann TaylorTank top: TargetJeans: American EagleShoes: Adidas Energy Boost ESM2

The Style Imitating Art inspiration comes from 14 Shades of Grey, who selected Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, aka Under the Wave off Kanagawa, aka The Great Wave. She mentioned the dots of spray as a possible jumping off point, which is what I went with for my casual Friday office-closing-early-for-the-holiday-weekend interpretation. I added a blue tank top under the semi-sheer blouse, jeans, and my navy-and-white running shoes because the laces and Adidas logo reminded me of the whitecap stripes on the waves.

What I Work to Work Today: Thursday, June 23, 2016Shirt: Ann TaylorPants: GapShoes: Payless

The Style Imitating Art choice this week from Librarian for Life and Style is a woodcut print by Bertha Lum called The Homecoming, likely an initial print for otherpieces that year. In addition to the simplicity and vertical lines of my clothing, I included the top of the garage door frame to recreate the frame in the image and my shadow as stand-in for the reflection.

And now we’re on to September, when I had moved into my house and hadn’t decided on a spot for pictures yet. At my apartment the balcony ledge was the perfect height and distance from the wall for self-timed photos. At my house I’ve been using the recycling bin as a tripod so far.

What I Wore to Work Today: September 15, 2015Dress: Ann TaylorJacket: TJ MaxxBelt: TargetShoes: Payless

What I Wore to Work Today: September 21, 2015Blouse: LimitedPants:Old Navy, newBelt: TargetShoes: Payless

Just the other day a style blog told me “You probably will look drab if your all black outfit consists of all cotton” and then I wore an all black cotton-based outfit anyway. For shame, self, for shame.

What I Wore to Work Today: January 22, 2016Blazer: GoodwillTshirt: TargetJeans:American EagleNecklace: Ann TaylorShoes:Payless

Oh look it’s suddenly 2016 and I’m back in the ol’ blogarooni and WordPress is all different stuff again. I’ll figure it out later, as I always say…

It’s a whole new year, a brand new world.

My middle school was two houses away from my grandparents’ house and I went through a phase of walking over after school and hanging out for awhile. I’d read the paper, talk to Grandma and Grandpa, eat snacks, tinker on the piano from an old hymnal. (Grandma and Grandpa, did you guys buy a hymnal or did you just… borrow one from the church??) I got to the point where I could play my grandfather’s favorite hymn, “God of Grace and God of Glory”, including all the chords on both hands. I’ve always had big hands for somebody my size and enjoyed reaching the bigger chords. (Aww, that post from October 2010 hints at the clearly-absurd idea I had had at some point that maybe I’d get married in September 2011. Haha that’s cute. Marriage isn’t in your future, my young friend.)

When I was in a particularly cheerful mood I’d sing little songs in the tiny bathroom on the opposite side of the living room wall, often A Whole New World from “Aladdin”, or the hymns I was playing earlier. I later learned that the bathroom was not soundproof — why did I ever think it was?? — and I was retroactively mortified about all my bathroom singing. If my grandparents heard me they were polite enough, kind enough, to refrain from letting on.

Happy 34th birthday to me! Now that 34 sounds even older than 33 (it’s almost into the next age bracket of 35-55 on surveys!), I’ll get to enjoy even more conversations like this one at the fabric store cutting counter last week:

Me: 1 yard of these two, and half a yard of the batiks, please.50-something Clerk: Ok. What are you working on?Me: A project with my quilt guild.Clerk: [pause] So you’re learning to quilt, huh?Me: Well, not really, I’ve been doing it about 8 years. I do consider myself a beginner, though, definitely not an expert or anything.Clerk: You must have been really small when you started then!Me: I was in my mid-twenties.Clerk: Oh! I thought you were still in your teens!

My new response when somebody tells me that I look 15, or they thought I was 23, or there’s no way I’m 34 haha stop lying now tell us your real age for real this time, is going to be silence. Nothing. I’m not agreeing with them (“Haha I know”) or apologizing (“Yeah, I’m sorry, everybody says that”) or pretending like they’re the first person to say it (“what?? that’s weird, everybody always thinks I’m older than my age”) or responding as though it’s a compliment, which can go on awhile (“thank you, that’s so kind of you to say!” “You really do though!” “How nice, thank you!” “No, I’m not trying to be nice, I really thought you were in college” “Aw, thank you, I’m flattered!” “I’m not trying to flatter you, I’m just saying the truth, you look really young” “You’re too sweet, thank you!”).

Instead, it will be nothing.
“Oh my god no way I thought you were 20!”
“….”

Happy birthday to me!

What I Wore to Work Today: Friday, October 23, 2015Blouse: Ann TaylorCamisole: TargetPants: Banana RepublicShoes: Payless, new

What I Wore to Work Today: July 2, 2015Jacket and blouse: Xi Clothing, newSkirt: Ann TaylorShoes: Payless

I keep this blazer at work as an option when I get a little chilly. I love when it’s cold — too cold is so much better than too hot! This issue picked up steam (ha!) over the summer when various thinkpieces garnered attention (Washington Post, New York Times). I’m firmly in the Let’s Make It Cold camp. If I were too cold, I’d have only myself to blame with these skirts and bare legs and sleeveless tops.

What I Wore to Work Today: July 1, 2015Blazer: Ann Taylor, newDress: Macy’s?Belt: TargetShoes: Payless

Hey look I was still wearing clothes to work in July! This was back before I started wearing basically the same thing to work every day when I had a lot going on at the office and travel every weekend and moving preparations and assorted things that drained my interest in thinking about my daily clothes.

This blazer was new around this time. It’s a textured navy blue material and worth the expense so far.